Legal Services Act
Exclusive: US legal giant sells its ABS to consolidator
US legal services giant LegalZoom has sold the Yorkshire law firm it bought more than four years ago to consolidator Metamorph, Legal Futures can reveal.
New file openings crash but staff stepping up during crisis
Many law firms are seeing the number of new file openings crash as the lockdown continues, but leaders have reported how staff are really stepping up their efforts.
Conveyancers calls on government to extend furlough scheme
The furlough scheme should be extended for property businesses, like conveyancers, where income required to pay staff will not be available for months after work is undertaken once lockdown is lifted.
IP specialist waited two years to switch to unregulated firm
A solicitor specialising in intellectual property has described “waiting in the wings” for two years to close down her regulated law firm and reopen as an unregulated business.
Whiplash reforms delayed until April 2021
The whiplash reforms have been delayed until April 2021 due to the coronavirus crisis, the Lord Chancellor announced today. This is the third time implementation has been postponed.
Listed legal business eyes revenue diversification
RBG Holdings plc is aiming to broaden its non-legal offering and reduce its reliance on the revenues of City law firm Rosenblatt, it said today as it announced strong results for the 2019 financial year.
National Accident Helpline furloughs staff as enquiries fall
NAHL – the listed company that owns National Accident Helpline – announced yesterday that it has furloughed a third of its staff amid a fall in personal injury enquiries.
Coronavirus update: AML warning, property help, and more
Criminals are exploiting the coronavirus crisis and law firms may be more susceptible because of the financial pressures they are under, regulators have warned as we round up other key developments.
SRA: Legal Services Act regime “struggling to remain relevant”
The rate of change in the legal market makes it “increasingly difficult” for the regulatory framework laid down by the Legal Services Act to remain relevant, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has warned.
Majority of firms have furloughed staff, survey finds
Most law firms have implemented a furloughing strategy, looking at reductions of up to 40% in headcount to survive the coronavirus crisis, while partners are reducing drawings too, according to a survey.
Tax schemes “discourage investment” in legal start-ups
Government schemes to help SME companies grow by offering investors tax relief exclude legal businesses and so constrict technological innovation in the market, it has been claimed.
LeO weighs using big data to aid decision-making
The Legal Ombudsman is exploring whether to use big data and machine learning technology to suggest outcomes and make recommendations in resolving complaints about lawyers.
Week 3 of lockdown: Dark clouds of cash flow gather
Week three of lockdown saw the start of a cash squeeze on law firms, with no money yet from the government, and predictions of a grim summer, according to research.
Susskind: No return to old ways after Covid-19 crisis
Many of the technologies and techniques that have been “forged in the heat” of the coronavirus crisis will usurp old ways of practising when life returns to normal, Professor Richard Susskind has predicted.
Firm that was ‘future of criminal practice’ is wound up
A North-East law firm that pitched itself as the future of criminal legal aid practice a decade ago by combining barristers and solicitors was formally wound up last month.
Blog
Legal director: an alternative to partnership
Firms are increasingly acknowledging the need for alternative senior roles – positions that offer influence and recognition without the obligations of ownership.
It’s time for law firms to ask tougher questions
For years, many law firms have treated ID verification as a box-ticking exercise. Run a liveness check, match a face to a document and move on. But that is no longer good enough.
Business fatigue to AI will risk job security
Whilst we know professional learning has always been part of career paths, to hire, retain and keep talent, AI needs to be embedded as a core part of this training.
